Guwahati, July 27: Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria reiterated the need for the state environment and forest department to take care of all essential components for making national parks and wildlife sanctuaries the most sought-after destinations not only for wildlife enthusiasts, but also for researchers, academia and tourists across the world.
Reviewing the implementation of schemes and programmes of the department during a meeting held at Raj Bhavan, the Governor took stock of the conservation initiatives the government has adopted in national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests.
During the meeting, he inquired about the contribution of forests in the state GDP. He said that as 36 per cent of the total areas of the state are covered with forests, the department should set a target and work in the direction through which the forest department can contribute to the expeditious growth of the GDP.
The Governor also asked the officials to work to increase the green cover for the wild lives so that they do not come out of their habitat in search of food to the nearby human habitations.
He also lauded the forest department for its efforts in making rhinos safe as the instances of rhino poaching has come down to zero.
Underlining the importance of green coverage and forestry, Kataria said efforts should be made to increase the green coverage every year and control pollution.
He further asked the forest officials to make efforts to increase the green cover for wildlife so that animals do not come out of their habitats in search of food to the nearby human habitations.
The Governor also hailed the department for ensuring the existence of various micro-ecosystems in the forests of Assam that have metamorphosed into a unique macro system that has made national parks and wildlife sanctuaries vibrant biodiversity hotspots.
“Roads leading to wildlife sanctuaries should be developed in accordance with the forest guidelines. Besides, local people should be involved to promote wildlife tourism by providing home-stay arrangements or well managed staying facilities to attract tourists in the fringe areas,” he said.